Arthur Franz
| Arthur Franz | |
|---|---|
 From the film trailer for The Unholy Wife (1957) | |
| Born |
February 29, 1920 Perth Amboy, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died |
June 17, 2006 (aged 86) Henderson, Nevada, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Emphysema |
| Years active | 1948-1982 |
| Spouse(s) |
Anna Minot (m. 1945; div. 1946) Adele Longmire (m. 1946; div. 1957) |
| Children |
Gina Martenson Melissa Franz Michael Franz[1] |
Arthur Sofield Franz (February 29, 1920 – June 17, 2006) was an American B-movie and television actor, whose most notable feature film role was as Lieutenant, Junior Grade, H. Paynter Jr. in The Caine Mutiny (1954). He also appeared in Roseanna McCoy (1949), Eight Iron Men (1952), Invaders From Mars (1953), Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man (1951), and The Unholy Wife (1957), among many others. In The Sniper (1952), he played a rare lead in the film's title role as a tormented killer; earlier, he co-starred with John Wayne in the World War II film Sands of Iwo Jima (1949) and with Ronald Reagan in Hellcats of the Navy (1957).
Early life
Franz was born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. His interest in acting developed while he was still a student in high school.
During World War II, Franz served as a B-24 Liberator navigator in the United States Army Air Forces. He was shot down over Romania and incarcerated in a POW camp, from which he later escaped.
Career
Franz portrayed automobile magnate Henry Ford in the 1955 television film, A Story About Henry Ford, with Karen Sharpe as Ford's wife, Clara Bryant Ford.
Franz was also a familiar face on American television series; he made five guest appearances on Perry Mason, twice playing the defendant and one time the murderer. In 1958 he played the title role of Danny Harrison in "The Case of the Married Moonlighter," and in 1959 he played Richard Vanaman in "The Case of the Golden Fraud." In 1962 he played murderer Mr. Evans in "The Case of the Captain's Coin." He appeared on dozens of other series, including Schlitz Playhouse, Crossroads, Science Fiction Theatre, Ripcord, The Alaskans, Mr. Novak, The F.B.I., The Mod Squad, Hawaii Five-O, Rich Man, Poor Man Book II, Custer, Mannix, Storefront Lawyers, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Invaders, The Virginian, Gunsmoke and Rawhide.
Franz played the role of U. S. president James Madison in the 1965 episode "George Mason" of the NBC documentary series Profiles in Courage. William Bakewell played George Wythe, and Laurence Naismith played the title role of George Mason.[2]
Franz portrayed U. S. representative Charles A. Halleck of Indiana in the 1974 made-for-television film The Missiles of October, based on the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Franz's last role was in 1982 film That Championship Season.
Franz died in Henderson, Nevada, at the age of 86 from emphysema and heart disease.[3]
Selected filmography
- Jungle Patrol (1948) as Lt. 'Mace' Willard
- Red Stallion in the Rockies (1949) as Thad Avery
- The Doctor and the Girl (1949) as Dr. Harvey L. Kenmore
- Red Light (1949) as Capt. Jess Torno (Chaplain)
- Roseanna McCoy (1949) as Thad Wilkins
- Sands of Iwo Jima (1949) as Cpl. Robert Dunne / Narrator
- Tarnished (1950) as Bud Dolliver
- Three Secrets (1950) as Paul Radin
- Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man (1951) as Tommy Nelson
- Strictly Dishonorable (1951) as Henry Greene
- Submarine Command (1951) as Lt. Arnie Carlson
- Flight to Mars (1951) as Dr. Jim Barker
- The Sniper (1952) as Eddie Miller
- Castle in the Air (1952) (uncredited)
- Eight Iron Men (1952) as Carter
- The Member of the Wedding (1952) as Jarvis Addams
- Invaders from Mars (1953) as Dr. Stuart Kelston/Narrator
- Flight Nurse (1953) as Capt. Mike Barnes
- Bad for Each Other (1953) as Dr. Jim Crowley
- The Eddie Cantor Story (1953) as Harry Harris
- The Caine Mutiny (1954) as Lt. JG H. Paynter Jr.
- The Steel Cage (1954) as Chaplain Harvey (segment "The Face")
- Battle Taxi (1955) as Lt. Pete Stacy
- New Orleans Uncensored (1955) as Dan Corbett
- Bobby Ware is Missing (1955) as George Ware
- Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (1956) as Bob Hale
- Running Target (1956) as Scott
- The Wild Party (1956) as Lt. Arthur Mitchell
- Hellcats of the Navy (1957) as Lt. Cmdr. Don Landon
- The Unholy Wife (1957) as Father Stephen Hochen
- Back from the Dead (1957) as Dick Anthony
- The Devil's Hairpin (1957) as Danny Rhinegold
- The Young Lions (1958) as Lt. Green
- The Flame Barrier (1958) as Dave Hollister
- Monster on the Campus (1958) as Prof. Donald Blake
- Woman Obsessed (1959) as Tom Sharron (uncredited)
- The Atomic Submarine (1959) as Lt. Cmdr. Richard 'Reef' Holloway
- The Carpetbaggers (1964) as Morrissey
- Alvarez Kelly (1966) as Capt. Towers
- The Sweet Ride (1968) as Army Psychiatrist
- Anzio (1968) as Maj. Gen. Luke Howard
- Dream No Evil (1970) as John, County Psychiatrist
- Million Dollar Duck (1971) as Prosecutor (uncredited)
- So Long, Blue Boy (1973) as Ed Rilke
- The Missiles of October (1974) as Congressman Charles A. Halleck
- The 'Human' Factor (1975) as Gen. Fuller
- Sisters of Death (1976) as Edmond Clybourn
- King Monster (1976) as Narrator
- Rich Man, Poor Man Book II (1977) as Sen. Jones
- The Amazing Howard Hughes (1977) as Barnes
- The Last Hurrah (1977) as Hack Wiles
- That Championship Season (1982) as Macken (Last appearance)